STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Rainstorm hits NE China

A massive rainstorm, passing through northeast China's Jilin Province since Thursday, has left 8 people dead and more than 120,000 residents out of their homes.

The worst affected area is Yongji county, where torrential rain began to fall at around 9 a.m. Thursday.

Between Thursday to Friday noon, a record-breaking 175 millimeters fell, causing over 7500 houses to become damaged or collapse.

Flash floods have also damaged cropland and several transportation routes in the county, with many public services suspended.

More than 120,000 people have been evacuated due to the flooding, and around 320,000 people have been affected.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) WANG WEIREN ，Local resident

“The downpour started to hit here at 5 p.m. last evening and did not stop until midnight. The rain reached its peak at around 9 p.m. The flood on the ground reached 2 meters in depth and uprooted a tree. The rain-triggered flood also damaged a warehouse and several residential houses. Look at that, dozens of bags full of rice were all wet."

Local authorities said that a total of eight people have died, with another missing.